Rose Publishing - Hebrews

The printed version of this eBook is the Hebrews pamphlet, ISBN-13: 9781596369061

Author: Benjamin Galan, MTS, ThM, Professor of Old Testament Hebrew and Literature

Contributing Author: William Brent Ashby

It is illegal to photocopy, transmit electronically, post on the internet, or reproduce this pamphlet in whole or in part in any form.

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• Includes a fantastic outline and overview of the Book of Hebrews.
• Emphasizes the Superiority of Christ! Covers the 5 Ways Christ is Superior to the Old Covenant (greater than Moses, Melchizedek, Old Testament High Priests, and the Tabernacle)!
• Highlights the 15 Heroes of Faith from Hebrews 11, including Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Gideon, Rahab, and more!
• Shares 11 practical ways to stand firm in your faith and live a Christian life. Shows how to persevere, remain faithful, and live a life that glorifies God.

The letter to the Hebrews was written to Christians who faced a strong temptation to abandon or move away from the teachings of the apostles. At that time, the world around them was in continuous change. Many cultures and religions of the Greek way of life (known as Hellenism) were coming together under influence of the Roman Empire. Rome allowed these various religions to coexist, but only if they also adhered to the Roman forms of worshipespecially the worship of the emperor.

These first generations of Christians faced two powerful challenges:

(1) Temptation to return to the purity of Judaism

(2) Fierce persecution by authorities who threatened their lives

The writer of Hebrews encourages these believers to persevere through suffering and withstand the temptation to abandon their faith.

The letter to the Hebrews is important for Christians today because temptations to move away from the teachings of Christ and the apostles continue to exist. Just as the writer to the Hebrews encouraged readers to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful (Heb. 10:23), so we, too, need the same encouragement.

In the entire New Testament, the book of Hebrews is written in the most sophisticated Greek. Its main points are made in a careful and thoughtful way, as a very educated person of the times would write. In this way, it is very much a Hellenistic letter. However, it is also deeply rooted in the Old Testament. Knowledge of Old Testament doctrines and practices helps readers understand the message of the letter.

Who Wrote the Book of Hebrews?

The author of the letter to the Hebrews is unknown. Some scholars suggest that the apostle Paul wrote Hebrews. However, Paul identified himself as the writer in his letters, and the author of Hebrews does not identify himself. Also, the difference in themes and style between Pauls letters and Hebrews argues against Paul as the author.

The author of Hebrews explains Jesus teachings by means of contrasts. The author makes the main point early on: Jesus reveals God in new and more complete ways (1:13). In other words, Jesus is superior to everything that preceded him. In fact, Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of every promise that preceded him. In him, we have a better hope, a better covenant, a better sanctuary, and a better inheritance. Jesus is the High Priest, and no more human priests are necessary because there is no longer a need for repeated sacrifices. Jesus is the one and only sacrifice.

Dating the Book of Hebrews

Many scholars suggest that the letter to the Hebrews was written between AD 60 to 69 for two main reasons: (1) The author of Hebrews mentions Timothy (Heb. 13:23), and (2) the temple in Jerusalem, which was destroyed in AD 70, still appears to be standing. The author speaks of the temple in the present tense and does not make reference to the end of the Old Testament sacrificial system.

The letter to the Hebrews can be divided into seven sections as follows:

1. THE SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST OVER ANGELS, MOSES, AND PRIESTS (HEB. 1:17:28)

   a. Supremacy of Christs Revelation (1:14)

   b. Supremacy of Christ over Angels (1:52:18)

   c. Supremacy of Christ over Moses (3:14:13)

   d. Supremacy of Christ over Priests (4:147:28)

2. THE SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST AS THE HIGH PRIEST OF THE NEW COVENANT (8:113)
3. THE SUPERIORITY OF THE NEW TABERNACLE (9:112)
4. THE SUPERIORITY OF CHRISTS SACRIFICE (9:1310:18)
5. A CALL TO PERSEVERANCE, FAITHFULNESS, AND DISCIPLINE (10:1912:29)
6. RULES FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING (13:117)
7. REQUEST FOR PRAYER, FINAL GREETINGS, AND BENEDICTION (13:1825)

Main Idea : Jesus is superior because of who he is and what he did.

• Jesus is God. He is the exact representation of the Fathers being.
• Jesus made the full and final sacrifice of purification for sins.

Main Idea : Jesus rules! He is far above the angels because he alone is Gods Son, and he became human in order to accomplish what no angel could ever dobring about the salvation of the human race.

Son of God can be used metaphorically to describe a special relationship with God: that of creator and creature. For example, Adam is called the son of God in Luke 3:38 because he was the first created human. Angels are also referred to as sons of God (Job 1:6; 38:7) because they are spiritual beings created by God. Jesus is not the Son of God in either of these senses. The Bible makes a clear distinction in the use of the term Son of God for Jesus. John calls Jesus the only or only begotten Son (John 1:14, 18). In Jesus case, Son refers to his divinity, as the eternally begotten Son of God. Son can also be used metaphorically for Jesus in that he is the descendant of David, and hence, the Messiah, the rightful King of Israel. When both senses (divine and human) are combined, Jesus is effectively the Messiah, the Son of David, and God in the fleshGod and man at the same time. And for that reason, Jesus is superior to angels and to all previous revelation.

Main Idea : Jesus authority is superior to the authority of Moses.

Moses was perhaps the most important person in the Old Testament. He was born to a Hebrew slave family in Egypt. When Pharaoh issued a decree to kill all Hebrew boys, Moses mother put him in a basket and placed it in the Nile. He was rescued by an Egyptian princess and was raised in the palace. When Moses was forty years old, he reached out to his Hebrew people. He murdered an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave. Fearing Pharaoh, Moses escaped to Midian. When Moses was eighty, God called to him from a burning bush and commanded him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses felt inadequate, so God revealed to Moses his divine name and provided him with the ability to perform several miracles to prove his authority.